Viewers on The Villagers: “I couldn’t believe what I saw”

The painted film “Villagers” (directed by DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman), chosen as the audience’s favorite of “Kino pavasaris”, continues to travel through the country’s cinemas, collecting good reviews. The film, the creation of which was also contributed by Lithuanian artists, is praised by people of various ages and professions: from an opinion maker and a student, to representatives of the film industry and a lawyer.

“What a good movie – it’s a masterpiece!” Every frame, every second is painted. You can poke your finger into any frame with your eyes closed – like a painting, so beautiful! And the story is so good… I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, at some points I was freaking out. What kindness! I highly recommend it,” Naglis Bierancs did not hide his admiration for the film.

“My brain exploded. I have seen Loving Vincent (note: The previous animated feature film by these directors, Your Vincent) and since then I became very interested in this animation. When I found out that this movie was being made, I was really looking forward to this premiere. I feel better after seeing him than when I didn’t. The story itself is like this… It reminds us of old times – how everything was, how difficult. And the story remains very relevant to these times. It was wonderful to see that Lithuanians contributed to this film. You need to be proud of this film, show it to everyone and tell about it”, Meinardas Valkevičius was happy.

“The film left quite a deep impression. It’s hard to imagine how much work went into painting each scene. It really looks like a solid piece of art. Although, to be honest, the plot is quite sad, well, so dramatic, but still it leaves a feeling of plasticity, it does not leave that bitterness – why is it like that? Because something noble remains”, Marija Bartaševičiūtė shared her impressions.

“I saw this film for the first time at the Tallinn Film Festival and I really wanted to watch it a second time. Painting is an incredible technique. We very rarely see painted films – or rather, we don’t see them at all, because they don’t exist anymore. I am proud that Lithuania is part of such a film and I want all the people of the world to see it,” said Brigita Beniušytė.

“As soon as I left The Villagers, I found the soundtrack of the movie on Spotify and saved myself. And the role of Jagna… The actress is very very beautiful. This film was among my TOP3 “Cinema Spring” films, I would definitely recommend it to everyone to watch,” said Ieva Daugialaitė.

“Very picturesque, very musical, the costumes are very beautiful. And that drawing technique is very interesting. I would say that anyone should watch it because of the exceptional cinematography, the interesting script. Well, it is suitable for everyone”, invited Justina Semenaitė.

“Just great. If people are interested in art, if they like that kind of visual expression or just oil painting, it is very, very worthwhile to come to this film. Even without knowing anything about history”, urged Rita Strelčiūnaitė.

The film “Villagers” tells the story of Jagna, a young woman who in the 19th century in the late Polish countryside is determined to make her own way. In a hotbed of gossip, jealousy, and never-ending feuds, rich and poor alike are united by pride in their land, devotion to tradition, and deep-rooted patriarchy.

Jagna finds herself in a whirlwind of conflicting desires and intrigues between the richest farmer in the village, his eldest son and other important men in the community. Her resistance leads to a tragic confrontation with the community in which she grew up and lived. The film The Peasants is an adaptation of the classic novel by Władysław Reymont, who won the Nobel Prize.

The world premiere of the film “Peasants” took place at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival, the film can currently be seen in Lithuanian cinemas, trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEj6KuBeYDM&t=46s. The film was partially financed by the Lithuanian Cinema Center, and the film is distributed in Lithuania by Kino Pavasaris Distribution.